Nightmare #78, March 2019“All the Hidden Places” by Cadwell Turnbull
Reviewed by Kevin P Hallett
There are two first publication stories in the 78th issue of Nightmare.
“All the Hidden Places” by Cadwell Turnbull
Nikki and her father had to flee their adopted island sanctuary after her mother succumbed to a rabies-like plague in this horror short. Now, two years later, they approach a new island sanctuary on a frozen lake.
Nikki’s father keeps secrets from her, secrets about her mother, about why the plague affected her mother differently. But soon this island of her parents’ youth will reveal her true nature, and, maybe, even her destiny.
The author’s prose was easy and made for an engaging read.
“Example” by Adam-Troy Castro
In this short SF horror story, the government has wrongfully convicted Hector of a heinous murder and sentenced him to death. Over the years, Hector has shut himself off from a world that cares nothing for the death-row inmates. It’s become a world he doesn’t recognize or understand.
Now, twenty years later, on the day of his execution, the state attorney has come to visit him. Evidence has surfaced to prove Hector’s innocence. But, as the state attorney points out, the laws have changed, and his troubles are far from over.
Castro’s story engaged the reader and portrayed a future that was scarier than many of the dystopias portrayed in less subtle SF plots.